Darkrai's Redemption
by Meta-Akira
Summary: After the vortex that was meant to be his escape was shattered by Palkia, Darkrai awakens with no memory of who he -or anyone for that matter -is. What will happen when he meets those who were once enemies and confronts the evil being he once was? PMD2
1. Prologue: Shattered

**Hiya! Akira here! Here is my newest longshot! This story came to me, and I wanted to go with it. This story will not be my top-priority story. Time's Design holds that place with me. So I might not update extremely often. But it will give me a break from TD every now and then. Hope you will enjoy it!**

**Warning: This story has spoilers from PMD2. Just a heads up.  
Rated T for very occasional language. Perhaps violence for later chapters.  
This team is based off of my PMD2 Team. Akira is the leader, being a female Pikachu. Kamon is her partner, a male Totodile.  
**

**(~)  
**

He glared at the three of them with his one, piercing ice-blue eye. The color fit, as that one eye's gaze chilled two of his challengers to the core.

He had to admit, he was somewhat impressed. But that was easily outweighed by his extreme frustration and anger. How dare that little Pikachu and her cowardly Totodile friend putz and meddle with his grand schemes? His ambitions had been ground to a screeching halt the first time, when he had planned the demise of the flow of time. Everything had been planned so perfectly!

He had attacked the Temporal Tower, annihilating Dialga's control and degenerating the powerful, but too righteous Pokémon into Primal Dialga. Primal Dialga was a great improvement to his controlled and level-headed counterpart. He was ruthless, confused, and highly aggressive. Better yet, he was insanely powerful when he was out of control. And best of all, Primal Dialga would do anything, _anything_, to ensure his own survival. Which meant he'd go to any means to prevent turning back into the calm and reasonable Dialga.

Oh, how easily Primal Dialga could be manipulated by the wily likes of himself. And follower of Primal Dialga's… that _ignorant oaf_… Dusknoir. His overinflated ego along with his greed and ambitions to impress his crazed master. It made it all too easy to quell any signs of rebellion by Pokémon who hadn't yet been tainted with darkness. The ghost-type, with his army of Sableye, so willing to serve, could brutally and lethally put an end to any discontent without any work having to be done by the real mastermind himself.

He was so sure that the only path anything could take was total degeneration into hopeless darkness- with him reigning over the black despair without dispute or challenge.

What a glorious dictatorship it would be. That damned Cresselia would have no ability to quench the darkness if there was no light left to chase it away. Yes, it would be a grand coup indeed.

But then he'd heard about two who hadn't yet fallen to the darkness. No, three, actually. Two Pokmon, and a human. One of the Pokémon, a Grovyle, had teamed up with a human girl who was rumored to have unusual powers of the supernatural kind, as well as the power to speak to Pokemon. It fascinated him, and amused him. To think that a mere girl and a Grovyle could think to topple such a well-laid plan such as his. Especially since they assumed their main enemy was Dusknoir and Primal Dialga. He waited for Dusknoir to simply do his thing and dispose of the entertaining pests.

Yes, they more often than not escaped from the bumbling fool and his legion of Sableye. But it was still fun to watch. Like a game of Meowth and Rattata. Yes, they outsmarted and outran. However, they'd reach the end of their tether at some point. And he was more than pleased to watch and wait for it to happen.

But what was this? He hadn't in his wildest dreams imagined that a Legendary still existed outside of his control. And it was the absolute worst Pokémon possible to have working against him. He had raged about, killing off a couple of those useless Sableye from afar after he had glimpsed the pink shine of the nymph aiding the two.

Celebi! She could travel through time! That damned creature might actually be able to make his plans falter.

After his rage had dissipated somewhat, he calmed with an eerie smirk. Yes, she _could_ time travel. But with the power of Primal Dialga under his command, so could he.

Out of sight, he had hidden while Celebi summoned up a portal. He summoned the power of Primal Dialga and a warped vortex appeared as well. Celebi disappeared as the girl and the Grovyle made the jump into the vortex, and he entered his own wormhole.

He had seen the two falling in a rush of color. He narrowed his pale blue eye. Grovyle. He was the leader of the two. He was the determination. He'd extinguish his life first.

Raising one black, ethereal arm, he summoned a powerful Dark Pulse and aimed it at the Grovyle. However, the girl seemed to notice something amiss. With a cry, she somehow shoved Grovyle away and took the blast herself, which distorted the vortex.

At first, he'd been angry. But then he was pleased. The hit she had taken caused enough distortion for her to be separated from Grovyle. And better yet, he smirked, she would lose her memory and her form, recuperating from the shock of the distortion, would change to that of a Pokémon.

There was no way that she was a threat any longer. All there was left of this "mighty" duo was Grovyle, and he'd be easily taken care of. He'd find a way to indirectly command Dusknoir to travel to the time Grovyle had been transported to and capture him under the lie that he was dangerous. The future would be unaltered. He would remain as the most powerful Pokémon. His vision would come true.

His moment of glory was when that oaf, Dusknoit had managed to fool everyone, including that brat- who had become a Pikachu, and her Exploration Team partner, a cowardly Totodile, into believing that Grovyle was evil and that Dusknoir was good. They would be taken to the future and killed at the hands of the rather unskilled Sableye henchmen that Dusknoir insisted on surrounding himself with.

He should have expected something to go awry. It was _Dusknoir_, things had to go wrong. But he had become complacent.

So imagine his rage. Imagine his utter wrath when that girl, her partner, and that blasted Grovyle escaped from the clutches of the ghost-type due to his quick thinking. And imagine his fury when Grovyle managed to penetrate the web of lies they had been told, and gotten the two to trust him.

He was still confident, though. Even though Dusknoir failed yet again, and Grovyle pushed himself and the fool back to the future, leaving Temporal Tower to the meddling twosome. Yes, he was confident. Dialga was already displaying signs of instability. He was already losing control and was beginning the transformation into Primal Dialga. There was no way that the two could possibly take on the Being of Time and win.

And he broke down into a flaming conniption when they proved him wrong.

How, how, _how?_

A few days had passed before he came up with a new idea. This would rid them for sure.

To convince them that their presence was causing the warping and tearing of the very fabric of space. And to make sure his argument was convincing, he would use his nightmares to give him the appearance of his enemy, _Cresselia._

She was already tailing him, suspecting him to come up with such a plot. She must have come to the conclusion that he had played a part in the near-collapse of Temporal Tower. That nuisance.

But she would never catch him. He was always two steps ahead of her.

Blast that Pikachu's determination! If she had the same resolve as that Totodile, they both would have probably thrown themselves off of Sharpedo Bluff and offed themselves to "save the world from the destruction of space" as he had eloquently said under the guise of Cresselia.

He decided to take a more direct approach. He invaded the dreams of Palkia himself, still pretending to be Cresselia, convincing him that the two seemingly insignificant Pokémon were the cause of the warping of space instead of himself.

He was sure it would work. Palkia's rage would destroy them. But he was proven wrong again.

Sick of all the roundabout ways, he pulled them into Palkia's dreams, deciding to take them out himself if he had to.

_Damn_ that Cresselia. Her timing ruined everything. She exposed him for who he truly was, Darkrai, king of nightmares and darkness.

Finally, he gave in. Not to Cresselia's powers, of course not! He just dropped the charade. He beckoned the Pikachu and Totodile to find him in Dark Crater. There, he would put an end to them himself.

And now, here they were. He roiled under the surface to see that they had brought Cresselia with them. The odds were not in his favor with her around. His blue eye narrowed as he came up with the plan.

After telling his story and his elaborate scheme, he quickly cast a nightmare at the Pikachu like a spell. It was so seamless, she wouldn't even notice the transition from reality into the imaginary.

Working the beings of the dream like an evil Puppet Master, he manipulated the false Totodile partner of hers into going along with his scheme under the ruse that he was too powerful to resist, let alone defeat. The Pikachu looked at a crossroads for a moment before making her way up to him. He grinned ghoulishly, making the Totodile mutter the lie that they could all rule the darkness together.

Of course, he'd kill her instead.

However, the gleam of triumph in his crystal eye was replaced by confusion, then eventually rage as he noticed the lucid determination in the Pikachu's eyes. She was throwing off the power of his nightmares!

And suddenly, the falseness was gone, and that Pikachu was glaring at him, Cresselia and Totodile behind her, saying that "Kamon" would never say such a thing. So she saw past his dreams, did she? His eye flashed as he flew into battle.

How seamlessly she and the Totodile worked together! They were smart enough to keep their distance, but still hit him with alternations of Discharge and Hydro Pump. Cresselia didn't even need to step in.

He was down and defeated.

_HOW?_

He felt fear for a brief moment, but then it was gone in the wake of wicked realization. He smirked, pleased that the two looked uneasy at his sudden smug demeanor. If only they knew that they could never escape him…

He summoned a vortex and relished the fear and disconsolation in their faces. He would try again. He would always return. They could never truly stop him. He would only come back at a different time and place, wiser to their antics and more powerful than the last time.

He said his gleeful farewell and flew into the vortex, triumph returning to his being.

He could only hear garbled voices behind him, and he turned to close the vortex behind him.

But wait… That voice. Why was it familiar? No. No, no, _no! NO!_

He tried to close the vortex in a panic when he belatedly realized who it was and what was about to transpire. He couldn't let that happen…! The consequences!

He reached to close the vortex…

And his world shattered into a myriad of pieces, like broken glass.

With a piercing, anguished screech that reached the Pikachu, Totodile, Cresselia, and Palkia in Dark Crater, everything faded to black.

**(~)**

**Alright, so this was the Prologue to Darkrai's Redemption. I hope it wasn't too muddled and messy. Please, criticism is much appreciated, and I love and respond to every review! Thanks for reading!**

**Later! ~Meta-Akira  
**


	2. Chapter 1: Awakening

**Hiya! Akira here! Betcha weren't expecting an update on this so early! Well, I was inspired. Let me explain a bit about this fic.**  
**This is not going to be a Darkrai/Hero fic. In fact, there will be mild Hero/Partner (Akira/Kamon) moments here. But that isn't the focus of the fic. In the case of romance for Darkrai, I'm not sure. I considered Darkrai/Cresselia, but I don't even know if I want Romance for him right now. Whatcha guys think?  
Also, this chapter takes place right after the restoration of Temporal Tower and Akira's revival, but before anything else happens, including the Graduation. That's coming up...  
The events here are based off Darkness/Time, not Sky. So I'm sorry to say that Grovyle- though one of my favorite characters -will probably not appear unless from popular demand. Be warned that if is somehow fitted in, Celebi will come and there will be Rendshipping (C/G).**

**Thanks go out to WarriorKitteh, for your kind review! ^^  
**

**I do not own the characters of PMD2. Read, review, and enjoy!  
(~)**

The first thing he could recognize was pain. Throbbing pain, rolling over him like waves.

Waves. That was the second thing he could recognize. It felt as though waves of water were gently washing up against his battered body, even if her couldn't see it.

Well, he felt pain and water, so it was only logical that he had a body to feel it with, wasn't it?

He hazily opened his eyes. What was this? He couldn't see out of one, as though it was obscured by something. Sunlight was flooding down upon him steadily as he stirred weakly in the sand of the beach.

_Beach? How is it I got to be here? But perhaps a better question is 'who am I?'_

He blinked as this thought surfaced like a bubble. He concentrated, trying to think back to… nothing. There was nothing there. Nothing but blackness. He blinked again. He couldn't have just sprung up out of nothingness, could he? That couldn't be possible. Yet, that's what it seemed. Whoever he was, he was here and he existed, but with no recollection of anything. He closed his eyes again.

_Perhaps… Perhaps someone can explain this… If there are others who exist here, that is…_

_Hn? I… I hear something… voices…_

"… and later, we can go visit-"

"Huh?"

"What is it, Akira?"

"Kamon, look at that over there! On the beach!"

"I-Is that a Pokémon?"

"I… I think so…"

"It looks kind of scary," the second voice said uneasily.

"Scary or not, I think it might be in trouble. C'mon, let's check it out."

"Uh… W-Well, if you say so…"

There was a muted scuffle of footsteps approaching in the sand. He felt the sun being blocked as two shadows were cast over his face.

"This seems rather familiar… Like déjà vu…"

"Hush, Kamon! Hey, you there. Are you okay?"

_They must be talking to me._

He opened his eyes, and the one that wasn't obscured focused onto two faces looking down at his. The yellow one, _Pikachu_, looked rather worried and curious. The blue, _Totodile,_ looked a little frightened and uncertain.

He wasn't sure why he could remember what these two were without having any scrap of knowledge on what he was himself. It was frustrating. But he was too discombobulated to be able to focus on frustration.

"Are you okay," the Pikachu asked again in concern, "…sir?"

The way she spoke, it sounded as though she was assuming he was male.

"…Yes… I-I think…?" he was startled when he heard his rasping of a voice. He reached to place a hand on his throbbing head.

"What happened to you?" The Pikachu asked, her heart-ended tail twitching.

"I… I cannot… remember…" he finally managed to say. The Pikachu and the Totodile exchanged significant looks.

"Any chance…" the Totodile finally spoke in a slightly timid voice, "…that you might have been human?"

He blinked in confusion. He didn't know _what_ he was, but he was quite sure that he wasn't human and never was. He hesitantly shook his head.

"No… I was never human. But," he paused sadly, looking at his black, three-clawed hands. "As to what I really am, I have no idea."

"Nothing at all? Not even a name?" the Pikachu asked with sympathy, as if she knew what he was going through.

"I don't think… I had a real name…" he rasped slowly.

She looked a bit saddened and puzzled. "Well, that gets us nowhere. You look kind of like a ghost. Kamon was afraid to come near you."

"Eheheh…" the Totodile, apparently named Kamon, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"I look like a ghost?" he asked, confused. "Am I dead?"

"You certainly don't look dead," the Pikachu said with a shrug. She grabbed his hand with her small, yellow paws and pulled him to his feet. Well, not really. It confused him that he couldn't feel his feet, yet was upright.

"Well, you aren't a real ghost, since Akira could touch you and everything," the Totodile started uncertainly. "But you certainly _float_ like a ghost can."

He looked down at the ground. Sure enough, there was about a foot of space between the sand and himself. He turned towards the water to try to see his own reflection. It was constantly rippling because of the movement of the waves, but he could make out the details.

He was mostly black in color, the shape of a horrific specter, with billowing black streamers flowing from his shoulders. A red collar that resembled a necklace made of fangs was around his neck. One blue eye, sharp as a fragment of ice, stood out beneath a snow-white plume flowed from the top of his head, shifting as though a strong wind was blowing.

It was a rather frightening image. No wonder the Totodile had been afraid of him.

_Is that… me? I resemble a monster…_

The Pikachu noticed his troubled expression.

"Hey," she began gently, and he looked back at her and away from his reflection. "Y'know, you don't seem like a bad Pokémon, despite your appearance. You aren't able to determine what you look like. So… it's okay."

His one bright blue eye blinked. She was a stranger. Why did she take it upon herself to console him? The Totodile gulped, but he nodded as though he had just decided something.

"Well, if Akira trusts you, then…" He held his clawed hand up to him, smiling despite his fear. "I'm Kamon, and this here is Akira. Pleased to meet you."

Bewildered, he took the Totodile's hand in his own and shook it before smiling nervously.

"Thank you. I'd like to introduce myself, but I don't even know my own name…"

"Would you like one?" Akira asked kindly.

"Oh, yes," Kamon said, his eyes brightening. "Akira's awesome at coming up with names. She's not sure where she gets them, but she knows lots of cool words, and she thinks that she remembers reading these things called fantasy books before, um, well…"

His interest was piqued by Kamon's trailing sentence, but he looked back at Akira. The Pikachu looked deep in thought, chin placed in her small paw. She looked him up and down, muttering inaudibly to herself.

Finally, she nodded. "Shruikan."

He was taken aback by the certainty in her voice. It certainly wasn't a name- or word for that matter –that he'd ever heard before.

"Shruikan?" he asked, blinking.

"Yes… I don't know why, but it came to me, and for some reason, I think it fits," she said, somewhat blankly. "Do you like it? If not, I might be able to come up with something else."

He rolled the name around in his head, playing with the sound in his mind.

_Shrew-kin, Shrew-kin, Shrew-kin…_

He looked at Akira, who was looking curiously back at him. He nodded, smiling again.

"I-I like it. My name is Shruikan…"

She smiled. Kamon beamed.

"I told ya she was a genius at picking names," he grinned toothily at her. She flushed slightly.

"I dunno about that, Kamon," she chuckled, tugging at one of her ears.

"So… Shruikan," Kamon started, obviously more at ease with the amnesiac. "What are you going to do, now? If you don't remember anything, you probably don't have a place to stay…"

Shruikan floated apprehensively, looking a bit despondent.

"No… I don't."

"You can come with us," Akira said firmly. Kamon looked at her in surprise.

"What, you mean have him join our Exploration Team?"

"Even if he doesn't we can get him a place to stay," she said with a shrug. Shruikan looked baffled as to what they meant by 'Exploration Team'. The name seemed self-explanatory, but what did the Totodile mean by joining them?

"But, um, Akira," Kamon fidgeted uncomfortably. "The Guild room we stay in only has beds for the two of us. And the rest of our teammates live nearby the dungeons we recruited them in…"

_Guild? What guild? And dungeons? That sounds… ominous…_

"Hmm…" Akira thought again, rubbing her chin, heart-tipped tail twitching. Shruikan waited in silence awkwardly, trying to understand all that had been thrown at him in the past few eventful minutes.

Why were these two helping him? He looked like a monster, and they didn't know him. Despite that, they had given him a name, and were now trying to assist him in finding a place for him to stay. And why did that Pikachu look at him as though she understood how he was feeling perfectly? It was… strange.

"Sharpedo Bluff!"

Shruikan was snapped out of his thoughts by that exclamation. Akira looked pleased with herself. Kamon's eyes widened.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that myself? I mean, it used to be _my_ hideout. It's perfect!"

"Er… Sharpedo Bluff?" Shruikan asked, puzzled. Akira and Kamon both nodded in unison.

"It's a cliff cave that looks just like the jaws of a Sharpedo. It overlooks the ocean," Akira explained, pointing out at the water. "There, you can just see it over there, not too far of a walk from here."

He did as she said and looked. Sure enough, there was a gaping cave that looked so much like the shark Pokémon that it was uncanny. Jagged rocks jutted out to make 'teeth'. And it was positioned just so that it was sheltered even from the rain if a storm were to occur.

"That's a natural formation?" Shruikan asked, his icy blue eye blinking.

"We think so," Akira confirmed with a nod.

"Then it's settled," Kamon chirped cheerfully. "Sharpedo Bluff with be perfect. It already has a couple beds set up, and there's a pool of fresh water in it. It's really pretty comfortable for a cave."

"I would… like that. I… thank you," he said softly.

"It's really no trouble. C'mon, this way," Kamon said with a smile. He started walking back across the sand, Akira at his side, remaining silent. Kamon continued to talk as he led Shruikan up a set of hewn stone stairs. "You aren't inconveniencing anyone. No one stays there besides us from time to time. You see, we normally live at the Guild."

"Guild?" He heard the word again.

"Yes, it's up there," he pointed to another, longer set of stairs that continued upwards past the crossroads Kamon had stopped at. Shruikan could just vaguely see a strangely-shaped building set at the top of the clifftop.

"You see, Akira and I began an Exploration Team. We're the co-founders of Team Varden. The name was her idea. You see, she said she could remember reading the word somewhere, but she can't remember details. Except that it meant… erm…"

"Warders, or protectors…" Akira said softly.

"Ah, yeah… that…" Kamon replied. He pointed towards the left path. "This way."

"Exploration Team… You mentioned that before. Obviously, you explore, but to what purpose?" Shruikan asked out of curiosity, hovering silently along.

"There's much more to it than just exploring," Kamon said eagerly. "We chart out new places and we hunt for treasure. But there's more to it. You see-"

"Long ago, there were no such things as Exploration Teams," Akira piped up, breaking her silence. Her voice sounded rather distant, as though she was seeing something from a different place and time. "Instead, there were Rescue Teams. Those teams were brave Pokémon who would help others in need if they were lost or defeated. But there was a series of catastrophes that made some Pokémon hostile. Turns out, the reason was an incoming meteo that was disrupting the peace. A Rescue Team called Team Vexlar took it upon themselves to go to Rayquaza and challenge him so that he could destroy the meteor. After that, peace returned and Pokémon were no longer hostile. Rescue Teams became less and less in quantity over the years, since they were hardly needed anymore. Instead, Exploration Teams started to spread around, with the intent of discovering new places and treasures. However, the recent reappearances of hostile and rogue Pokémon became a problem. Remembering the honor of the Rescue Teams of long ago, Exploration Teams started to also help others by saving those in need or by defeating wanted outlaws. Thus things stand today."

Shruikan let out a slow breath. "Sound like honorable work…"

"It is," Kamon said bouncily, while Akira melted back into silence, but not without a smile on her face. "And it's lots of fun, too. Oh, we're back at Treasure Town."

"…Treasure Town?"

"Yeah, it's a small little Pokémon Village. Everyone here is really nice, most of 'em are our friends. Nothing much, but it's like home."

Shruikan looked at the humble tents, stalls, and buildings with respect. But, he noticed something else. As he floated like a grim specter after the two teammates, he noticed the eyes of many Pokémon watching him. Crowds seemed to melt away to the sides, and he was sure he heard whispers. When he occasionally met the eyes of one of the Pokémon assembled there, they would avert their gaze with a shudder. It was a sobering feeling, and he frowned, looking at his claw-like hands. The only villager who didn't mutter or stare as he passed was a matronly Kangaskhan. In fact, she waved kindly to the group, smiling warmly. Akira and Kamon returned the wave and continued on, unperturbed. But Shruikan still felt chilled by the cool response from the others.

He relaxed slightly when they left the small town behind and made their way up towards the top of a cliff.

"Down here, Shruikan," Kamon said, shifting a bush to the side to reveal a ladder descending into the cliff. Akira made her way down it first. Kamon went down soon after. Shruikan hesitated, but followed suit.

He found himself in a large space enclosed by the teeth of Sharpedo Bluff. He turned his gaze to look outside of the mouth, to see the blue ocean sparkling gently, the distant pounding of waves against the rocks a reassuring, repetitive lullaby. The sun was sinking in the sky, and the cave provided a nice view of the red-stained sky.

"It is nice here…" he said quietly to himself. "Like a safehaven."

"Wow, it's so weird to be back here, right Akira?" Kamon commented as he wandered around. "We haven't been here for a long time. Last time we were here was with Grovyle."

Kamon continued to chatter, but Shruikan noticed that the Pikachu, who had been smiling –albeit quietly- for most of the time, was now gazing sorrowfully out at the ocean, looking rather preoccupied.

"Is something wrong, Akira?"

Her ears twitched to let him know that she heard him, but her gaze didn't part from the sunset.

"Just missing a friend…" she said so quietly that he barely heard her. Kamon stopped and looked at her with a tinge of regret in his eyes. He hated seeing her sad. It didn't fit with her quiet, but friendly personality.

"I'm sorry, Akira," he said quickly, eyes frantic. "I didn't mean to bring that up. I know how much you miss him. I'm sorry!"

"It's… okay…" she murmured distantly. Kamon, at a loss for what to do, reached out for her paw and squeezed it reassuringly. She sighed shakily and squeezed back.

"Thank you, Kamon," she whispered, smiling weakly, but genuinely at him. Shruikan noticed his face flush a slight pink against his blue scales.

"'S'alright," he responded, trying to smile back.

After a few moments of awkward silence, the Totodile turned to face Shruikan.

"So, Shruikan… You're fine with this place, right?"

"Of course. I'm in debt to you and Akira for helping me," he said humbly.

"Hey, it's no big thing. We're here to help," Kamon said with a grin. He glanced at the setting sun.

"Yo, Akira. We'd better be heading back to the Guild, yunno? They don't really put a curfew on the two of us anymore, but we still gotta get up at the crack of dawn."

"Yes, I suppose so," the Pikachu replied softly, finally turning away from the sunset. "You'll be okay here?"

"Eh, alone…?" Shruikan asked uneasily before feeling utterly stupid. He wasn't a child, he was pretty sure of that. Why would he have any qualms about being alone here for one night?

_Because this world and everything in it is foreign to me… But still, I cannot act as though I am nervous. I would look like a fool._

"Or course I will be fine… Thank you for your concern," he said.

Akira again gave him a look that told him she understood. But how could she?

"We will be back in the morning if we can. We'll see if we can give our assignments to someone else. That way, we can maybe figure things out," she said with a flick of her tail.

With a faint smile, she turned towards the ladder.

"Good night Shruikan," she said before ascending. Kamon gave him a nod and followed after his team leader.

Shruikan sighed as he was left alone with only his plethora of questions that had no memory to answer them. It wouldn't be a restful night, he knew that much as the sky darkened and the moon replaced the sun. He rested on the meager, but surprisingly comfortable straw bed.

As the hours snailed by, his questions were suppressed by the light of the moon. His blue eye flickered shut, and he finally slept.

**(~)  
So, what didja think? Now the real story is starting to commence.  
Props to any fellow fans who catch my two references there to a certain literary series. I couldn't resist!  
I also made a reference to PMD1 and my team on there. Same twosome, a Pikachu and a Totodile, along with an Absol named Yin.  
Lastly, if anyone can name a few of my favorite words that I slipped in here, you win the internet. (Yes, I have a list of favorite words... XD)**

**Happy New Year!  
See ya next year. ~Meta-Akira  
**


	3. Chapter 2: Morning

**Holy Miltank, this story isn't dead after all! *gasp*  
According to the poll I put up and mentioned in Time's Design, a couple of you wanted me to put more attention on DR again. So I complied.  
Thank you for those of you who have voted so far. Don't worry, Time's Design will always be my top-priority, since most of you voted on it! But I shall also take into consideration how a few of you want a Ferriswheelshipping fic, and those of you who are interested in my new idea for a SoulSilvershipping fic.**

**Anyways, I want to thank those of you who have reviewed Darkrai's Redemption: WarriorKitteh, azure blue espeon, I Lov3 Wizardmon, XReaperBlade, dbzespio, TheGreatProphet283, and DarkraiFanGirl.  
Cookies to DarkraiFanGirl and TheGreatProphet283 for guessing the reference correctly: The Inheritance Cycle. I love that series, and the final book, Inheritance, is coming out in November. 8D  
Also, in regard to dbzespio, she requested that Grovyle make an appearance later, somehow. I'll see what I can do. 8D**

**This chapter isn't anything much, but I hope you like it. Sorry if it isn't up to scratch. ^^;**

**I don't own Pokemon or PMD2.**

**(~)**

He shifted in his sleep. His dreams were swirling strangely about in his mind.

He was in a dark cavern, almost like a crater. He was alone for a length of time. And for the most part, he was content.

But then, he began to wonder. Where were the other Pokémon? Weren't there others here?

And why did he have a creeping feeling that the place seemed familiar, like the fading echo of a déjà vu?

And there he sat, for hours… all alone in the quiet cavern, with nothing but the bubbling of distant lava to fill the noticeable void of sound.

He awoke before sunrise, blinking rapidly and wondering briefly where he was as he found himself lying in a pile of soft hay.

Oh, yes. This was… Sharpedo Bluff. He was staying here because he had lost his memory somehow.

A new thought struck him.

_That Pikachu and Totodile… Akira and Kamon…_

Those two who had found him lying helplessly in the sand. They had kindly given him a name and shelter as well as their word that they would try to help him rediscover who he was.

Suck kind individuals…

However, Shruikan shuddered. Thoughts from yesterday evening surfaced in his mind. How most of the Pokémon in the nearby town had looked upon him with fear and distaste. He clenched his fists. It must be because of his appearances. He looked like a hellish ghost of some sort. Who could blame them?

After all, Kamon had been reluctant to approach him as well…

Shruikan again noticed the small pool of fresh water bubbling in the corner. Though the surface rippled slightly, it acted as a much smoother mirror than the sea's shallows had.

At once, he felt two things. Fear. He felt a deep-seated fear of seeing his frightening visage more clearly. He hated seeing who he really was, since he looked rather gruesome.

Yet… he also felt an incredible longing- a desire to look upon his face more closely. For whether or not he liked it, this was who he was. It could give him more clues to his identity, and he might as well get used to seeing himself.

These two feelings- repulsion and yearning –battled against the other viciously for a while he hovered immobile next to his bed of hay.

Finally, his want for information, his drive for some sort of identity drove him towards the edge of the stone basin. He steeled himself, and determinedly looked into the clear surface to try to pry out some answers.

His first reaction was the impulse to look away. But his appearance, as intimidating as it was, also fascinated him, and he forced himself to take in every detail.

With the distortion caused by the coming and receding waves taken out of the equation, he could see himself much better than at the shore.

He was very gaunt, taking on a somewhat starved appearance. He only just noticed that he was hungry, but not to the point that his figure suggested. His body must be naturally shaped in such a way. The white plume on his head seemed like a ghostly, tattered flag, but it came down almost like ragged locks of hair to cover the right half of his face. His eye had a white pupil. How unusual. And underneath his ice-blue eye was a crescent of a dark circle, almost giving him the appearance of a severe insomniac.

But what caught his attention was what appeared to be a vertical red slit across his visible eye. He hadn't been able to notice it in the sea's reflection.

_Is it a mere marking? Like the dark circle under my eye? Or is it…?_ Shruikan thought, raising a clawed hand to touch it.

His hand immediately recoiled when it came in contact with the mark- it stung with a muted, but throbbing pain. He winced, not wanting to touch it again.

_So I have a scar. But from what? It looks as though something slashed my face. And it must have been recent, because this scar is new. The pain says that clearly. Could it have possibly been connected to my memory loss?_

The last thought disturbed him, but he held tight to the idea. Anything that could give a hint about who he was or what happened was valuable. Still looking at his reflection, he noticed his face. It appeared to be… young, though haunted with a look of lost confusion and fright. But something wasn't completely right. Something prickled in his mind, but he didn't know what or why. He sighed in a melancholy fashion.

_I suppose that's going to happen to me a lot from now on. Being tantalized by something out of my mental reach._

He glanced back into the eye of his reflection. The fear and uncertainty on his gaze was more pronounced than ever. With a shudder, he turned away, quite sure that if he never saw his reflection again, he would be perfectly fine with it.

He tried to put the image out of his mind, but turned when he heard a rustle. He felt a slight wave of relief to see the duo from yesterday come scurrying down the ladder.

"Hey, Shruikan!" Kamon hailed him brightly with a wide grin. Akira opted to stay quiet, but the small smile greeted him nonetheless. "Beautiful morning, huh?"

He nodded slightly, even though he hadn't noticed anything about the morning. He pushed the dark thoughts away so he wouldn't alert the Team Varden members of his agitated demeanor.

"Well, like we said, we're here, and we managed to get out of our duties for today- not that we do it a lot!" Kamon chuckled nervously while Akira silently rolled her eyes. "There weren't that many assignments today, and we explained to Chatot about promising to help someone out today."

"Chatot…?"

"Yes, he's the assistant to Guildmaster Wigglytuff," Kamon said, Akira nodding next to him. "He's kind of uppity and strict. But he's not nearly as eccentric as Wigglytuff is. The Guildmaster's kinda… off. Doesn't always seem to know what's going on."

"Akira… Kamon… Did you see this marking on my face?" Shruikan asked suddenly.

They both gazed at him blankly.

"That red mark? I kinda thought it was how you were supposed to look," the Totodile answered with a shrug.

"Why?" Akira piped up suddenly. "It isn't a cut, is it?"

"That's certainly what it _feels_ like," Shruikan murmured uncertainly, wincing as he remembered the throbbing that came from delicately touching it. "And I think I received it during whatever it was that made me lose my memory."

Both of his companions widened their eyes. But neither seemed to understand anything more than he did. No epiphany came forth. His shoulder drooped a bit.

"I thought that perhaps you might know…"

"We'll figure this out, Shruikan. No worries," Akira said soothingly. Kamon nodded eagerly.

"So, didja sleep okay? I always thought that the beds here were more comfortable than at the Guild to be completely honest," Kamon said conversationally.

Shruikan glanced away from them, looking out at the twinkling sea. He floated closer to the jagged lip of the cave.

"I suppose I had a restful sleep… somewhat. But I had a dream that troubles me, and I can't tell why."

"What was it about?" the Totodile asked curiously, tilting his head to one side.

"I was in a dark cavern," he recalled slowly. "It must have been near a source of lava, for I could hear it bubbling. But it was completely quiet aside from that. I was all alone. Nothing else was there at all. It became bothersome to me. And I had the strangest feeling that I knew the place," he murmured, troubled.

"Perhaps it was your home," Akira spoke up, tugging at her ear in thought. "Maybe you were dreaming of home. It could be a clue as to who you are and where you came from."

"I suppose that would make sense," Shruikan mused, feeling a little less uneasy about the dream. If it was a link to his past, it was something to be looked into.

"If we can find someone who might know the place, we could go from there…" Akira continued to ponder aloud.

"Hey, why don't we go ask that Torkoal elder or whoever that watches the Hot Spring?" Kamon interjected with some excitement. "He's really old, um, I mean, _experienced_, so he might know the details of this place, especially if you said there was lava there."

"That's a wonderful idea, Kamon," Akira said with a small smile. The Totodile nervously grinned back at her, evidently pleased that he was getting praise from her.

"Ehehe. Th-Thanks, Akira," he chuckled slightly.

"Well, I don't see why we couldn't visit today," she continued on. She looked over at Shruikan.  
"Would you want to come with us, Shruikan?"

He was about to respond affirmatively, but his response was halted by the haunting memories of the Pokémon who had shuddered at his appearance yesterday. The hesitation within him must have shown itself upon his face, because the Pikachu looked a little concerned.

"Akira… Kamon… Please be honest with me. Do you find me to be… repulsive?" he slowly asked, almost afraid to hear their answer.

The two partners shared a glance before looking back at him in confusion.

"I was afraid of you at first, but we know you aren't a bad guy," Kamon exclaimed, fearing that his first impression had left bad feelings.

"I know you are fine with me now," he sighed. "But am I horrific? Don't I frighten the two of you?"

"Why this all of a sudden?" Akira asked him, frowning.

"When you took me through Treasure Town last evening, everyone… they… it was as if they couldn't bear to look me in the eye. They were whispering things and they seemed fearful and suspicious of me. Like a dangerous monster…" he whispered the last sentence. The two shared a glance again, this one of sympathy and bitterness.

"I think… I think we know why they might feel like that," Akira said softly, looking down.

"Why?" Shruikan gazed back at the two of them with his visible blue eye.

"_Dusknoir_."

He noticed that as Akira had said it, she tensed up, balling up her fists, and a tremor of fear passed through Kamon's spine.

He was confused. "Dusknoir? Who…"

"Treasure Town was always a very welcoming place that never judged appearances, yunno," Kamon said, shifting his feet edgily. "There was never any prejudice against any kind of Pokémon before… _him._"

"He was a cruel Pokémon who tricked the whole town into believing he was a wise, benevolent Explorer who was trying to save the world from a terrible danger," Akira said with unexpected venom in her soft voice. "He tricked everyone, even Kamon and I, into believing that someone out there, _who was trying to help stop a horrific danger_, was a criminal who needed to be stopped. In short, he was trying to hurry the world into a land of darkness without time. And once we defeated who we had thought was the problem, he attacked and kidnapped us in order to prevent us from stopping him."

Shruikan was astounded by the anger that the Pikachu was trying to control within her. Her small paws shook, and her partner worriedly placed a clawed hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and the shaking eased.

"He was a ghost-type who looked a bit intimidating. It is all his fault that the Pokémon of Treasure Town are probably so afraid of you. They don't want to be deceived again," she said sadly.

"I… I understand," he said, turning to look out at the sea once more. "I see why they wouldn't trust a creature like me."

"Shruikan," Akira said sharply. He glanced back at her questioningly. "Your appearance has nothing to do with your personality. Only you can determine that in the end. If you want to be a good person, you can."

Kamon nodded to back her up.

"She's right. Before I met Akira, I was a… well, a bit of a Scaredy-Skitty. I wasn't big and tough, and since everyone thought I looked weak, I thought I was. But when I met Akira and we founded Team Varden together, I found out that I didn't have to be that way just because everyone expected me to be."

"…_Was_ a Scardey-Skitty?" Akira muttered playfully, nudging Kamon's side with her elbow.

"I'm better, aren't I?" Kamon pouted slightly, crossing his arms.

"I was just kidding, Kamon," she said with a smile.

"Oh… I knew that…" he muttered.

"Anyways, Shruikan. You can stay here is that makes you more comfortable. No one else really knows about this place," Akira said, turning her attention back onto the dark specter.

"AKIRA! KAMON!" A blasting voice shouted so loud, it made them all jump. "GUILDMASTER WANTS TO SEE YOU! GET BACK TO THE GUILD! PRONTO!"

"I thought you said no one knew about this place…" Shruikan said, rubbing the side of his head.

"That's right. That would be Loudred…" Akira said, massaging her sensitive ears. "He doesn't know. He's probably at the Guild entrance… He can definitely make himself heard, even over distance, if he really needs to…"

"Sounded like he was shouting down the hole, to me…"

"Heh. Trust me," Kamon chuckled weakly. "If he was that close and yelled as loud as he did, you wouldn't be able to hear me right now."

The Totodile dusted himself off (the shouting had caused him to topple over into the dirt) and looked up the ladder thoughtfully. "Still, I wonder what they need us for. We cleared our day with Chatot, so I don't think it's an average mission. 'Specially if Wigglytuff himself needs to see us. Wonder if something big is going down…"

"We should get going, quickly," Akira murmured. "We shouldn't keep Guildmaster Wigglytuff waiting. You know how he gets…"

Kamon shuddered, which confused Shruikan.

"What _is_ he like?" he asked the two exploration partners.

"Well," the Totodile began uneasily. "Yunno how we said he usually doesn't seem… all there? Well, even if that's true, there are times when he gets serious. And if things don't go as he likes, he can get… louder than Loudred."

Shruikan was astounded. "That sounds impossible," he said, flabbergasted.

"Yeah," Kamon shivered again. "It's not pretty. It's kinda frightening, especially if you're the reason for one of his tantrums. We should get going."

Akira nodded.

"We'll be back as soon as we can to plan out what we will do next," she said to him, before disappearing up the ladder once more. Kamon followed her.

"Thank you," Shruikan said, before looking back out at the ocean.

**(~)  
Bleh. Boring ending is boring. Kamon and Akira were called away for the instructions to graduation. Once that occurs, then we can start getting to the interesting part of the story. 8D  
Again, I won't know the next time I'll be updating this story. All I can say is sorry in advance for inactivity on this long-shot.  
Hope you liked it! Review?  
Later! ~Meta-Akira  
**


	4. Chapter 3: Graduation

**Hey guys. Akira here with a *dramatic gasp* update of Darkrai's Redemption. I know, right?  
I apologize _in spades_ for the year wait for an update. I'm so sorry. Time's Design was my main priority, and this just sort of fell away to the side to collect dust. But I AM continuing it, it just ook a LOT of time for me to get it together.**

**Also, I'm going over the post-story on YouTube videos so that I can render the chapters more accurately. It's been a while since I completed the Darkrai arc on the game, so I need a refresher.**

**Big thanks to anyone who didn't forget or give up on this story, as evidenced by some of the votes in my latest poll.**

**Also thanks go out to my reviewers since last time: TheGreatProphet283, An Author's Pen, dbzespio, StarWarriorGirl14, Sky the white dragon, and Moonlight Kitten Warrior.**

**I must ask these two questions again. A: Should there be Cresselia/Darkrai? B: Should I bring back Grovyle?**

**And without further ado, I give you the next chapter of Darkrais' Redemption.**

**(~)  
**

"You two look pale."

That was a bit of an understatement. Shruikan was somewhat pleased to see the Pikachu and Totodile (_could he call them companions?_) return to Sharpedo Bluff not too long after they had been, rather loudly, summoned. But his slight smile had quickly become a frown when he saw their faces.

Akira looked rather grim, and Kamon looked outright stricken.

"Your guild leader… He was not angry at you, was he?" Shruikan asked warily, remembering their brief conversation before their departure on the fearsomeness of this Wigglytuff.

"Huh? Oh. No… he wasn't," Akira spoke up, still looking a bit troubled. Kamon just sort of stared off into the distance, that same terrified look in his eyes. Glancing over at him, she nudged his with her elbow, but he continued to gape soundlessly.

If not for the seriousness of the situation, Shruikan was sure he'd find it a bit amusing.

"Well, why do you both look like you've been given a death sentence?" he asked, focusing his question on the Pikachu, since Kamon didn't appear to be coming to his senses any time soon.

"We were told that we'll be graduating from the Guild soon. When we do, we will be able to work on our own without having to constantly report to superiors and be constantly monitored," she said.

Shruikan was puzzled. Wasn't this a good thing? He rather doubted that this news would leave her Totodile partner incoherent. But before he could question her, Akira continued on with her explanation.

"However, before we graduate, we must pass a ceremonial test of sorts. One of strength and bravery," she elaborated, tugging at her ear. "Apparently, we must bring back a treasure from nearby a place called the Luminous Spring, but in order to get it, we have to face off against some evil foe, or something like that. The Guildmaster said that it was called the Grand Master of All Things Bad."

"The… The Grand Master of All Things Bad," Shruikan repeated flatly after a moment. "You _must_ be kidding me."

She shrugged with a sigh. "I know. Sounds like a terrible villain name that could only spook a Togepi. But apparently, whatever this thing is, it's very tough. Few manage to defeat it to graduate. Loudred, our senior, wasn't able to pass the test last year, and he's pretty strong. No one is allowed to tell us details, though, since blind bravery is part of the test."

"But you aren't going alone," Shruikan stated after some thought. "You have Kamon with you. Perhaps that is all that is needed to tip the scales in your favor."

Akira blinked up at his marred face… and she smiled.

"You are right about that," she replied, a small note of relief in her voice. "And when it does come down to it, he'll do his best and face his fears. Isn't that right, Kamon?"

"Muh…" was all that managed to escape his slack jaw as he stared off into nothing.

Akira sighed and placed a paw on his shoulder. Kamon blinked, snapping out of his fazed state.

"Come on, Kamon. Let's stock up, and we'll head out," she said, gently steering him in the direction of the ladder. She glanced over her shoulder at the gaunt figure. "If all goes well, we should be back around nightfall."

"I wish the both of you good luck," Shruikan said with a nod.

He watched them ascend the ladder, then sighed bitterly to himself. He rather wished that their visits could be longer. He had no one here but his own reflection, and there was just something about himself that deeply unnerved him when he was alone. Like there was something sinister in his shadow.

It was peaceful here, with the distant repetitions of waves slapping against the cliffs, but there was little to do but contemplate. And with his mind foggy and dark, there was hardly much to contemplate. Perhaps there was more to it than that, but he wanted a distraction from himself. He glanced up, almost longingly at the ladder, but his hopes were dashed when he remembered the villager's cold, accusing stares. No. Better to lie low here for the time being.

Another stinging sigh flowed from his lips as he resigned himself to a long, lonesome day of waiting.

It had gone slowly, the hours passing about as fast as a Slugma oozed along. Shruikan did whatever he could to keep himself occupied. Since he didn't want to dwell too much on who he was, he instead thought of the dream.

He hoped the duo could help him figure out more. They'd spoken of an elderly Torkoal who was wise in a wide array of subjects. Maybe he could give some insight. Maybe the place of his dreams held answers and clues. But… it seemed to be a lonesome place. He wasn't too sure if he wanted to find it if it did exist.

He meditated on his confused feelings, and it seemed to help. No, it did not answer any questions, but it helped to abate the maelstrom of emotion within him.

He did not go to the pool again.

As the sun was sinking again over the blue horizon of water, he heard the bushes above rustle. Turning to face the ladder, he was glad to see both Pokémon climbing down the ladder, and both in one piece. Kamon was chattering excitedly, apparently over his daze.

"And now there aren't any rules! I mean, it is kinda cheap of Chatot to have us give most of our money to the Guild, but hey! I suppose we shouldn't be picky. Hey Shruikan!"

"I suppose all went well," he responded sarcastically. "How went the battle with the Grand Master of All Things Bad?"

"Ha! That? I dunno why I was so worried! I mean, yeah, if it had been just me, I woulda been toast, but Akira made it laughably easy! We didn't even need any of the stuff we dragged along. I be the Guildmaster and all the others weren't counting on Akira to have known Discharge, eh?"

"What do you mean?" Shruikan asked, puzzled.

"Oh, for some wacky reason, Wigglytuff _was_ the Grand Master of All Things Bad. And all of our pals were the minions. Bidoof blew their cover when he lightened up the cave we fell into, but everyone denied everything, and-"

"Kamon, you're rambling," Akira murmured quietly.

"Oh, yeah. Well, anyways, it was all a big set up, though they tried scaring us before their cover was blown. Akira was actually kinda ticked off by all the false grandeur and trying to scare us. She zapped everybody with a Discharge attack, and knocked almost everyone clean out. I took down Diglet and Dugtrio, and we both brought down Guildmaster Wigglytuff. So needless to say, we retrieved the treasure and graduated with flying colors!"

Kamon seemed completely thrilled. Shruikan couldn't help but offer a slight smile.

"Congratulations."

Someone's happiness was absent, though. Kamon glanced over at his partner, who was gazing quietly at the ground.

"Akira, what's the matter? Aren'tcha glad we've graduated from the Guild?" he asked her worriedly.

She looked over at him and smiled thinly. "Sorry. I guess I'm just tired after today."

He stared at her for a few minutes, then he shook his head. "Nah-uh, I don't buy it. Yeah, it was a full day, but you look down."

"Kamon…"

"Please tell me, Akira," he pleaded, the pep dropping out of his voice like a stone.

The Pikachu fidgeted, her heart-tipped tail twitching a bit. She looked a bit preoccupied.

"You weren't able to evolve back at Luminous Spring like you wanted to," she finally said quietly.

After a while, Kamon cheered up again and grinned.

"_That's_ what you were worried about? Heh, don't scare me like that! It's no big thing. Besides, I kinda like being a Totodile. I can put up with it a bit longer."

"That's not all, though. The voice at the Spring said it had something to do with just us and a… distortion of space?"

Shruikan looked on, bemused. Distortion of space? What did that mean, and why did it seem to ring familiar in his mind? Was it something to do with how he got to be here with no memories? Something about it echoed through his head, as if it had some significance.

"Maybe… it… will settle?" Kamon suggested, looking completely perplexed. "I mean, the world is still getting better from all that happened with Dialga. Maybe, things just need to right themselves yet."

He shrugged to emphasize his cluelessness on the issue.

"I dunno. I'm sure things will get better. No worries! …Shruikan, you doing alright?"

Shruikan had put both his clawed hands on his head, his eyes tightly shut. He didn't seem to recognize that Kamon was talking to him.

_Dialga. That name… It's so familiar! Why… It's… Something locked up in a memory I can't reach. And a distortion of space? Why does it feel like there's some sort of connection between the two? This is so FRUSTRATING!_

"Frustrating…" he muttered as he opened his eyes. He was a bit surprised when he saw the two looking at him with some apprehension.

"You look like Akira did when I first found her," Kamon finally broke the silence, completely serious.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"You want to remember, but it's like there's a wall of fog," Akira said so softly, it was like a whisper.

His ice-blue eye widened. That was exactly how it felt! "But… how… how…?"

"Akira's a fellow amnesiac," the Totodile said solemnly. "It was about a year ago when I found her on the same beach we found you. Kinda weird, actually."

Akira nodded to affirm. That explained why she often had a look of understanding on her face. It was a bit shocking, but he couldn't dwell on it right now.

"Who… who is Dialga?" Shruikan asked slowly, shaking his head as if it would somehow summon the answer.

"He is a Legendary Pokémon who has control over time," Akira responded. "Have you heard his name before?"

"I… don't… know…" he mumbled, gritting his teeth. "It sounds… familiar. Like an echo of something."

He paused to take a breath, and a thought occurred to him.

"How did… or why… I mean to say, was there trouble with Dialga?"

Kamon and Akira exchanged glances.

"Should I…?" Kamon asked.

Akira nodded as she put down a bag that Shruikan hadn't realized she'd been carrying. She opened it and pulled out several succulent berries and crisp apples, of which she offered some to Shruikan. He remembered his hunger and gratefully accepted them.

"Of course, Kamon. You've told it so many times before. You've become fairly good at it. I'll add in parts if I need to," she said kindly.

He smiled at her. Taking an apple for himself, he settled down on one of the beds and cleared his throat.

"Alright, I'll start at the beginning, then, but it's a bit of a long story. It all started about a year ago, like I said earlier. I'd been walking down along the beach, holding onto my personal treasure, a little fragment of carved stone that I called the Relic Fragment. Anyways, it was then I'd found a Pikachu lying unconscious on the beach with no memories but her name and the fact that she was once a human…"

**(~)**

**'Kay, so. Once again, not action packed, but we're getting there. Maybe next chapter I'll actually have Shruikan do something, instead of just sit around in Sharpedo's Bluff. Maybe tag along with them to find out more about himself.**

**Anyways, once again, I apologize for making you wait for this somewhat lackluster chapter. But I will once again put some focus on this!**

**See ya! ~Meta-Akira  
**


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